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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brisk-sg" data-source="post: 1119091" data-attributes="member: 5037">CHAPTER EIGHT: Finishing Touches (8 pgs)Chapter eight is intended to add the finishing touches to your character. Mechanics for player subplots, action dice, and character descriptors such as age and height are detailed.Backgrounds (Character Sub-plot mechanic)The mechanic outlined for player specified subplots is called Backgrounds. The player is allowed to spend up to five skill points at character creation to purchase a Background. The number of skill points spent determines how dangerous the background is, and how much bonus experience the character will receive when cashing in the background. The specified rules require the GM to work the purchased background into an upcoming mission (one of the next three missions run). When a background in incorporated into a mission, the player character with the background receives a number of bonus experience points determined by the skill points spent, his character level, and whether it was the focus of the mission. If the GM does not incorporate the background into the next three missions, then the player can ‘cash in’ the background for ten times the listed experience. The primary problem I foresee with this mechanic is if too many characters take advantage of it in a large group. In a group of six or more players it may not be uncommon to have six backgrounds that the GM feels required to work into 3 missions. The ‘cash in’ option if the GM does not use the background seems intended as a way of forcing the GM to attempt to include the background into the mission. However, do not get me wrong, I like this mechanic.Action DiceAction Dice are a Spycraft mechanic that is used to give the players and GM more control over important actions. A number of action dice are given to each player at the beginning of the session. The player may spend the action dice in the following ways: Increase a die roll, increase defense, activate threats, activate GM errors, heal their character, make an inspiration check, or to activate a feat or ability that calls for spending an action dice. In essence the action dice mechanic allows the player to influence the random rolls of his dice and activate special abilities/results at key moments.DescriptionThis section includes the tables and rules for age, random height, and random weight along with prompting the player to record or think of descriptors for his character such as his appearance, personality, morals, background (not the mechanic), and goals.Overall Chapter Eight provides the information for finishing up your character and explains two key mechanics. The Background and Action Dice mechanics give power to the players, allowing them to insert their own plot ideas into the campaign and helping to offset the randomness of the d20 system from dominating at key moments.Good: The Background and Action Dice mechanic provide the player with more control over his character in the campaign.Bad: The Background mechanic may be difficult to implement as written for a GM with a large group of players.</blockquote>

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